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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25737406">Sushi IS a big deal</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/everythingabouthatship/pseuds/everythingabouthatship'>everythingabouthatship</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>They're not. Or are they...? [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Order (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:07:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,720</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25737406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/everythingabouthatship/pseuds/everythingabouthatship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Some Vermish gossip between one temple cleansing and the next one.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hamish Duke/Vera Stone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>They're not. Or are they...? [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866970</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sushi IS a big deal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I wrote this in like a couple of hours and now I am basically falling asleep, but I wanted to post anyway. So please, don't judge for eventual mistakes. Plus, I am Italian and have no Beta, but I hope you'll like it anyway 💙</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m telling you, it’s true, one can’t misconstrue <em>this</em>.”</p><p>“I think you are overreacting. Or jumping to conclusions. Actually, let me say you are doing BOTH. Again.”</p><p>My attention instantly focused on the two Acolytes whispering - not so quietly - on the other side of the room; the boy looked excited, his eyes were shining and the sweet and delicate features of his face only enhanced it, whilst the blonde long-haired girl right in front of him looked quite cheesed off. She had the typical expression of someone who had been listening to the same speech over and over again. Could they be talking about…?</p><p>My heart leaped up. I took the mop standing only a few steps away and got closer, casually mopping and casually eavesdropping.</p><p>She dipped the wet rug covered in blood she was using to clean the even more blood-covered altar in the bucket near her feet and went back to rubbing.</p><p>A third girl, as curious as I was but definitely bolder and more daring, joined the couple.</p><p>“Sorry to intrude, but I overheard something that looked like gossip and I can’t stay out of this. Tell. Me. Everything.” Her eyes were shining too, as she sprayed the altar, helping the blond girl with the rubbing. She creeped me out a little, but if the cute boy didn’t mind, I for sure would not let her draw me away from this.</p><p>“Do you consider food as private information?” asked the blond girl to the creepysh one, her eyes ice-cold.</p><p>“It’s not about food! It’s <em>sushi</em>. And YES, it is private information, or do you know the meal preference of all the people you have a strictly professional relationship with?!” His big brown eyes were so warm that I wondered how could her icy ones stare into those so fiercely without slowly melt.</p><p>
  <em>Like hers.</em>
</p><p>I lost focus, my mind filled with images of sea-green eyes holding sky-blue eyes and sky-blue eyes reflecting in those same sea-green eyes, both melting at the sight of the others and the melting of the others. God, I lived for those moments.</p><p>Sometimes I thought that if the Grand Magus and the Wolf Magistratus (<em>her Wolf Magistratus</em>) were two characters of a TV series, I would have totally shipped them. Hell, I would have filled ao3 with fanfictions and, why not, a couple of videos.</p><p>The fandom on Tumblr would have been amazing for sure.</p><p>But as this is real life, I have to settle for the fellow Acolytes shippers I can find from time to time. And Cute boy sounded like he could fit.</p><p>
  <em>Cute boy… Cute boy is telling the story! Cay, enough with daydreaming, pull yourself together and fucking listen!</em>
</p><p>They were both Mr. Duke students, and Cute boy always found suspicious the occasional meetings between the T.A. and Chancellor Stone. From time to time, you could find them talking outside before the beginning of the lesson; some students swore that on some rare, blessed mornings you could see them getting out of the same car, others gossiped about peeking at some more or less romantic breakfast at the near cafeteria.  </p><p>The day Cute boy and Blonde girl passed the trials and entered this secret magic-centered organization (not so long ago) they found out that the objects of the rumors spreading around campus were part of it as well. Both of them.</p><p>This only increased their divergence on the matter.</p><p>Blond girl claimed that their misunderstandable behavior was now explained: two important members of the same secret society, working in two important positions at the same not secret at all University. It was as clear as clear could be, they had a strictly professional relationship. <br/>The meetings, the breakfasts, were occasions to talk about secret things or whatever. And even if the rumors about them arriving in the same car were real – and she doubted it – it probably was because of some kind of secret mission. Nothing less, nothing more.</p><p>Cute boy conviction that there was something <em>more </em>going on with this, on the other hand, kept increasing at every meeting. Every single time he saw them together, his shipping level increased. This made him try to stand out and make the Grand Magus notice him, hoping to gain access to more “intimate” moments and get the chance of proceeding with his quest for truth.</p><p>And his plan was beginning to bear fruit.</p><p>“I was in the Grand Magus Office – with the Grand Magus, of course – talking of things I don’t think I am allowed to share.”</p><p>Blonde girl rolled her eyes and moved away towards the other side of the altar, dragging the bucket with her. The Kinda-Creepy girl was not bothering to pretend to be helping with the cleansing anymore, she was staring Cute boy without blinking, hazel eyes in big brown eyes, awaiting the rest of the story.</p><p>“…I can tell you that the Grand Magus was quite distressed, and there was some blood on her bone mask I had to clean up <em>without </em>magic..</p><p>And then, with no warning… Mr. Duke came in! And you should have seen the sudden change in the Magus attitude. Her eyes literally light up, even her posture changed! And she almost fucking smiled. A sweet smile. Vera Stone. Grand Magus Vera Cold-Heart Stone…”</p><p>“Yes, yes, we understood. Magistratus Duke was bringing good and needed information to Magus Stone, what great news.” At that point, Blond girl’s eyes were physically unable to roll further.</p><p>
  <em>A sweet smile. Yes, Cute boy, I know what you’re talking about.</em>
</p><p>“But what about the sushi?”</p><p>“Oh, yes Guy, just tell her about the sushi already, don’t you think you wasted enough words on this?”</p><p>
  <em>Cute boy’s name is Guy? Ok then, Cute Guy. Nice. Maybe I’ll be able to remember his name after all.</em>
</p><p>“Well, he came in, holding a tray with two cocktails. And he said, I quote: <em>Grand Magus, since you’re staying overnight, I took the liberty to order some take–away sushi to share. It will arrive in minutes.</em></p><p>She tried to keep her composure, but I SWEAR I felt a LOT of something that reminded me of LUST in her voice: <em>Thanks, Magistratus, you do know how to make a woman happy. So, you are going to keep me company tonight after all?</em></p><p>Her look, her fucking look. And his smirk. God, his smirk.</p><p>But then I thought… how could he even know she liked sushi?! And on top of that… how could he be so confident she would have liked it in that moment? Or what type of sushi he should have ordered for her?! I mean, it’s not-”</p><p>Out of nowhere, a well-known voice interrupted his monologue, leaving them all stone froze. “Is this what you consider a proper way of dealing with all that blood, acolytes? Come on, the next incantation begins in ten minutes! Less chatting, more cleaning!” her tone sounded somehow different. Was that a glimpse of… amusement? Did she enjoy leaving them wondering if something was happening between her and Hamish? Were they… playing with them?</p><p>Her eyes pierced straight into mine. “I believe that part of the floor is clean, maybe too much clean. Would you consider cleaning the rest of it by the end of the day?”</p><p>My cheeks blushed violently, as a storm of emotions moved from my throat to my stomach, back to my throat again, leaving a weird tingling behind.</p><p>She just turned around and got out of the room, without waiting for my feeble “Yes, Magus”.</p><p>All eyes were on her until she disappeared behind the doors.</p><p>“She heard.”</p><p>“She totally heard.”</p><p>“Girls, have you seen her smile though??”</p><p>Blonde girl finally snapped: “Dear God, can’t you see they are mocking you? They clearly want us to believe they are together. Maybe it’s some kind of joke they made to the newcomers. Or something like that. And you are falling for that shit!”</p><p>“But the sushi…”</p><p>“That was probably a well-orchestrated gag, she was in the improv troupe after all!”</p><p>Cute boy scrolled his head, and we all quietly went back to mop, wash and rinse.</p><p>Maybe Blonde girl was right, maybe they were fooling us.</p><p>…</p><p>Or were they not?</p><hr/><p>Behind the doors, Vera Stone couldn’t contain her laugh anymore but managed to stick with a simple and restrained chuckle.  </p><p>“You are enjoying this more than you should, aren’t you?” his growing smile could be perceived by the slight change in his warm voice.  </p><p>She leaned on his chest, embracing his half hug and the kiss he softly lay on her temple.</p><p>“This was your idea, Mr. Duke. I am merely-“ his lips interrupted her mid-sentence, as his hands tightened the grip around her body, one finding its way to the edge of her blouse, the other crawling up to her neck, both pulling her closer.</p><p>“… trying to…” the knight didn’t give up, deepening the kiss. His left hand intruding under her blouse, going up her back, as he pushed himself closer to her.</p><p>She sighed, realizing she held her breath the whole time. Her blurred mind vainly trying to hold on to any thought.</p><p>“Hamish…”</p><p>He pulled out from the kiss, without reducing their closeness of an inch, and watched her in the eyes as his right hand reached her face, sliding her hairs behind her ear. She felt utterly lost in his warmth, in his gaze, in his arms… <em>in her Hamish</em>.</p><p>“See? Much better. It’s not that hard, the change from <em>Mr. Duke </em>to <em>Ham</em>-“</p><p>She pushed him away, returning to her senses. Behaving in ways that let other people make speculations about them was one thing. She was not afraid of silly gossip rumors no one truly considered. But being walked in... “Mr. Duke, this was highly inappropriate. We are not alone in the temple!”</p><p>“…and back to Mr. Duke.”</p><p>“Someone could have seen us!”</p><p>He might have believed to her little act, if it wasn’t for the tone of her voice, still softened by the kiss, and the soft blush garnishing her cheeks. She was not used yet to the vulnerability their closeness brought her, and he was okay with that.</p><p>It was part of her – a cute part of her.</p><p>And one of the many things he loved her for.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As usual, any idea or suggestion for the next chapters is welcome :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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